But the movie offers little insight into the man behind the lovable-idiot faade. Writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski and director Forman -- the same trio who so brilliantly limned The People vs. Larry Flynt -- commit the cardinal sin of bad biography: They show us what Kaufman did (much of which we already know) without explaining why he did it.

"You're insane!" raves Kaufman's manager, played by Danny DeVito. "But you might also be brilliant." That trite little pronouncement pretty much sums up the filmmakers' point of view. It's all the film has to offer by way of illuminating Kaufman's frequently annoying and often bizarre behavior.

The rest boils down to little more than an episodic, wafer-thin recap of Kaufman's career. Here's Andy, bombing so badly as a fledgling stand-up that he decides to chuck the routine and go for uncomfortable laughs at his own expense. Here's Andy, imitating Elvis. Here's Andy, lip-syncing the Mighty Mouse song on Saturday Night Live. Here's Andy, the tortured artiste, compromising his art (if art it was) to play Latka on Taxi. Here's Andy, wrestling women. And on and on.

The film comes to life briefly with the appearance of Vegas lounge singer Tony Clifton, Kaufman's vulgar alter ego. But it's way too little, way too late. For all but die-hard Carrey fans, there's more enjoyment to be had renting a best-of-Andy Kaufman video or catching Saturday Night Live reruns on Comedy Central.